


As For The Rain

by SebastianDragon



Series: Helm an' Sails [2]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2018-01-22 02:14:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1572335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SebastianDragon/pseuds/SebastianDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patr two to "The Rainy Night".<br/>Barbossa wants to see Elizabeth's fighting skills himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As For The Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Not English, sorry for any mistakes in here.

"So, Miss Swan, show us yer fencing abilities, then".

Elisabeth was standing on deck with that part of the crew, which was not busy. The sun was riding towards the horizon, giving its last beams of light to the world.

After a brief talk with Will about where she had been, Elisabeth went to sleep. She slept peacefully as she has not since they set out from Tia Dalma's house to rescue Jack. When she awoke, it was already noon. Elisabeth busied herself through the remnants of the day with helping Will, Gibbs and Marti – they were searching for rotten hawsers and then replacing them with new ones. The ship they sailed on was old, and Barbossa knew that there was plenty of replacement to do before they sailed out, but he never wanted to lose the time, so every repair was done already at sea.

The work was hard and by the time they finished, Elisabeth got tired. Yet she never forgot about Barbossa's promise to examine her fighting skills.

He had already been on deck when she arose, keeping the course himself while Cotton was taking his sleep, and was still at the helm when Elisabeth sat down on a barrel next to Will for a rest.

When Cotton emerged into the fresh air again, Barbossa called him up. Elisabeth saw him say something to him. Cotton nodded and took the helm. Barbossa came down from the quarterdeck and caught Gibbs by the sleeve. Gibbs listened and disappeared down the stairs, leading to the orlop deck.

"Hey there! All 'o be naught busy an' wanna get some shake-up!" called Barbossa and his glance fell, only by chance of course, on Elisabeth.

"Miss Swan. I be right to think that ye know 'ow to 'andle that shiny thin' 'anging from ye baldric?"

"You are right," she answered unhesitatingly.

"I'll go with you," Will said.

"No need to" she smiled warmly at him, "You are a good teacher, you don't have to worry for me".

"If he harms you…" Will began, looking at Barbossa and gripping the handle of his sword.

"He'll not harm me. We're on one side now. Take you rest, you must be terribly tired," Elisabeth smiled at him once more, then made her way to Barbossa and a group of pirates that started forming around him. Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti were there. Also, there were some of the pirates Barbossa hired at Tortuga to sail with him to Singapore.

Elisabeth spotted Tia Dalma not far from the future battleground. She was standing in the shade of the sails, looking solemnly at the gathering crowd. Elisabeth remembered that Tia Dalma knew of what she'd done to Jack. Because she was a sea-goddess in human form. Davy Jones's love. Elisabeth couldn't suppress a sudden chill, when she realized how much was hidden behind the solemn form of a mere woman.

"We go one against another, others watch. No shouts, no cheerin'. No blood. The one 'o does 'arm to another I'll shoot from this very pistol" Barbossa was saying meanwhile. He took out his Spanish pistol and showed everybody that it was loaded "I name th' partners. First pair – Bongel an' Johns. Ye fight till I command ye to stop or till one of ye looses 'is weapon. Understood?"

"Aye, captain!" answered the group.

"Ye begin, 'en," commanded Barbossa.

Elisabeth leaned on the gunwale and watched as the hired pirates began their fight. Will taught her to notice the weak and strong points in the opponent, so she busied herself with trying to find each of the combatants good and bad sides.

As if by chance once again, Barbossa appeared by her side. He leaned on the gunwale next to her and, pretending to eye the sparring, he asked his lips barely moving:

"Ye ready, Miss Swan? Got yer rest?"

"Aye, thank you captain," Elisabeth answered not looking away from the duel.

"Fine 'en. Ye be next".

"Aye, captain," Elisabeth answered once more.

"Now tell me, lass, what can ye see - 'o be goin' to win? What do ye think?"

"Well, Bongel is stronger but shorter, while Johns is nimbler and always covers himself after he attacks. And Bongel's limping a bit. I suppose Johns to be the winner," Elisabeth narrowed her eyes, trying to see anything she could have missed.

"Impressing" Barbossa said smiling. "All ye said be true, but it can be seen that Johns's right elbow be aching from th' work with th' sails – I can see it from th' way 'e 'olds 'is sword – 'e takes all the weight of it on 'is wrist so that 'is hand stays a bit down. So if they do not finish now, I suppose Bongel'll get the victory by striking just a fine 'ard blow".

"Oh," said Elisabeth. She hadn't seen it and would have never seen if Barbossa didn't mention it to her now.

"Ye should learn to see smaller details – ones that can not be done on purpose to trap ye. I can pretend to be limping good enough for ye to believe me and think ye be more strong and lose yer watchfulness. And the main part of yer body in combat at sea be yer hands not legs. O'course everything works in a fight, yet the hands be of first importance. I think I could well combat 'avin' one leg missin' for example, yet I could do that twice worse if I 'ad one arm missin'. Especially, the fightin' arm".

"I understand, captain," pronounced Elisabeth simultaneously with the moment Bongel hit Johns's sword out of his hand just as Barbossa had predicted.

"Well done, lads, ye go take some rest!" Barbossa shouted. "Johns, ye go an' take care of yer bloody aching elbow!"

Johns seemed surprised, but he said nothing and a moment later disappeared down the stairs leading to the orlop.

"Next pair," continued Barbossa, "be Miss Swan and Ragetti".

He turned to Elisabeth.

"Don't forget all that ye know while in battle. Keep yer mind calm and make it think. Ragetti be not that simple as ye may think. And 'e be left-'anded, don't ye forget".

"I've fought already, captain Barbossa," Elisabeth nodded, accepting his notes, then went to the sparring place, where Ragetti already stood, grinning widely.

"'ello, poppet," he said, " 'ere we get the chance to fight at last".

"So, Miss Swan, show us yer fencing abilities, then".

Elisabeth smiled at Barbossa's words then pulled out her sword and cast a quick glance at Will. He was still sitting on one of the water-barrels that stood near the mainmast, frowning. She winked him and turned back to Ragetti.

"Ye may start," Barbossa called.

Elisabeth took a careful step towards her opponent. He stood still gripping at his sword. Elisabeth made a feint to his leg, and then quickly slashed her sword to his head. Ragetti wasn't caught by surprise. He ducked and aimed for her stomach. Elisabeth parried, hit his sword off and advanced.

Barbossa narrowed his eyes. "She may become a hell of a good fighter if she be trained properly" he murmured to himself, "she 'as a quick eye, a quite strong 'and and a good wit. Only if 'er will be strong enough to fight while already wasted, then… But that be still to be seen," Barbossa chuckled, watching Elisabeth fight with sparkles of amusement in his eyes.

Minutes passed by. Neither of the opponents was winning. Barbossa cast a glance at Will and saw him in pride for his trainee. Barbossa then smirked and called out:

"Pintel! Ye join in against Miss Swan!"

"Aye, captain!" said Pintel, unsheathing his sword.

"What?" Elisabeth couldn't hold the words back. "But it's unfair!"

"Tell this to Davy Jones' lads an' see what they tell ye!" replied Barbossa ironically.

With the corner of his eye the captain saw Will jumping off his barrel and heading towards him.

"Barbossa! Halt!" he cried.

The fighting stopped, opponents in surprise. Barbossa raised his brows.

"Problems Mr. Turner?" he mocked. "Per'aps ye come to tell me it be unfair for a lass to fight against two men, eh? We 'ave already agreed upon that with Miss Swan, didn't we, Missy?"

He bent his head a bit and turned his gaze on Elisabeth.

"It's fine, Will!" Elisabeth's eyes flashed with anger, "I'm not a little girl to be protected anymore. I can take care of myself. I'm a pirate!"

Barbossa's grin at her words didn't emerge from William.

"If she gets hurt," he warned, "be sure, I won't have mercy upon you".

Barbossa rolled his eyes theatrically.

"Calm down, Mr. Turner," he said lazily. "Ye be too noisy. Go on lads, Miss Swan".

At once the fight continued. Will remained near him, looking in worry at the opponents. Barbossa shook his head and sighed.

Elisabeth was getting exhausted. She couldn't understand what Barbossa wanted from her. She fought Ragetti and was not defeated. But neither had she won. Wasn't it obvious that she was going to fail now?

Still Elisabeth was determined not to give up. She parried and attacked, cut and thrust, but she got more and more tired.

With a strong strike Pintel bet off her sword and put the tip of his to her throat. Ragetti came up from the back. They stood still. Elisabeth couldn't see Will nor Barbossa because she was standing with her back to them. While there was a pause she tried to catch her breath.

"That's it, poppet!" Ragetti giggled.

"You be surrounded," added Pintel, when his eyes suddenly widened at something happening behind Elisabeth.

She was about to turn around when she heard a clank of steel against steel, Ragetti's surprised shriek, and then felt somebody's back against hers.

"Ye 'ave some strength left, lass?" Barbossa voice asked from behind her.

"Sure, captain," smiled Elisabeth in astonishment and brought her sword to the guard position. She couldn't understand why she was so happy to find Barbossa at her help.

"All the others join in!" cried the captain. "And don't ye forget, ye bloomen maggots – no blood to be shed!"

The last time Elisabeth had been so excited was, perhaps, the fight with the Kraken on board of the Black Pearl. She found out that she still had the power to battle. Elisabeth has never fought back to back with anybody and now she thought it to be uneasy always standing at the same spot but at the time she felt extremely safe with someone like Barbossa guarding her back.

The only thing Elisabeth kept in her mind except for parrying, swinging and thrusting were Barbossa's words about getting himself skewered because he trusted Jack his life in a fight alike. Of course, this was just a training for all of them, but stil…

Elisabeth fought off another of the hired pirates when she was grabbed by the right wrist by Ragetti. He pulled her to himself trying to tear her from Barbossa. Elisabeth was about to cry for help when the captain suddenly turned and slammed the guard of his sword into Ragetti's arm making him cry out and let Elisabeth go. Then Barbossa changed arms, and with his right hand now free, he grabbed Elisabeth himself.

"Strike!" he shouted as he swung her around, making them change places.

Elisabeth obeyed his order and to her big surprise Pintel's sword, which had the opportunity to be the first to meet Elisabeth's, flew out from the pirate's hand.

"Off ye go Pintel!" Hector cried over his shoulder. "Ye fight be finished".

"Captain Barbossa!" Elisabeth parried Bongel's thrust. "You told you would never trust your life to anybody again!"

"Ye be not Jack, lass!" answered Barbossa and another sword was torn from its master.

"Well, then you…" began Elisabeth, but the breath was torn away from her when sharp pain slashed through her right shoulder. She automatically parried another swing and gasped in fear when she saw blood sipping through the fabric of her shirt.

Barbossa understood something was wrong.

"Stop 'ere, lads!" he cried.

The fight immediately stopped. Barbossa turned slowly to see Elisabeth holding her shoulder with her left hand. The captain's face darkened.

"Elisabeth!" cried Will as he saw what happened and rushed towards her. He embraced Elisabeth and, gently whispering something into her ear, made her sit down.

"Be still. We'll have you bandaged," he told her and raised his gaze at Barbossa, fury burning in them. Their eyes met.

"Who did 'is?" the captain inquired slowly, bringing out his pistol and turning with menace to the crew. "I warned ye twice. Now ye answer, ye filthy curs, who did this?"

Dead silence fell among the pirates who were whispering to each other a moment ago. Then Bongel took a quivering step forward.

"I did, captain".

"Oh, did ye, eh?" Barbossa aimed at his forehead, "Ye be dead then".

He wanted to pull down the trigger when Elisabeth suddenly jumped up and nearly hung to his arm.

"No, captain, please, it is my entire fault!" to Hector she seemed nearly in despair.

"Elisabeth?" Will himself was going to ask Barbossa to take pity on Bongel because the man had no intent to harm Elisabeth – what happened was an unhappy coincidence. But he didn't expect such a reaction from Elisabeth.

Barbossa halted and looked in the girl's eyes.

"Ye sit back 'ere and not protest against me promises".

"No, please, he's not guilty! Please, captain, please don't kill him!" Barbossa saw her tears ready to be shed.

"I don't want a man to die because of me," she whispered.

Barbossa brought down the pistol in a moment, understanding her unspoken words. "I don't want another man to die because of me" she willed to say.

"Ye go to me cabin," he told Elisabeth, and turned to Will. "Ye too. Mr. Gibbs, ye stay as well. All th' othe's back to work!"

The crew was "back to work" as if a wind had blown them away.

Will wanted to have his arm around Elisabeth's waist to support her, but to his surprise and hurt she has almost pushed his hand away.

"Stop it, Will, I'm not a little girl, I told you. And I'm not dying" she hissed.

"Mr. Gibbs! Ye go an' fetch a bottle o' whisky. Or rum. And ye bring it to me cabin," Barbossa told the man.

"Aye captain, in a moment!" Gibbs shook his head unhappily, glancing at Elisabeth's blood-soaked sleeve and slipped away.

Barbossa watched his back in grim silence, and then turned back to Will and Elisabeth.

"Ye come," he told them. "No time to be lost".

He span round and started walking to his cabin. The crew tried hard not to get into his way or even on his eyes.

Barbossa walked up to the quarterdeck, opened the door of his cabin and glanced over his shoulder before going in.

When Gibbs approached, Barbossa had already lit up the candles. Elisabeth sat herself in the same chair she'd been sitting the previous night, unsure of what is going to follow.

"Thank ya, Mr. Gibbs," Hector nodded, taking the bottle from the man. "Ye be free".

Gibbs vanished closing the door behind him.

"Take off yer shirt," Barbossa ordered, certainly appealing to Elisabeth.

"What?" Will and Elisabeth spoke in choir. The last was looking at him in misunderstanding.

Hector cursed himself in his thoughts.

"Sometimes I forget ye be not a man," he sighed, "Fine 'en. Tear off yer sleeve, cut it, do anythin' to it in all the blazes, but get yer arm free!"

Elisabeth looked at Will in hesitation.

"What be it, lass?" Barbossa raised his brows, "Ye seemed to trust me more 'en tis in the past".

Elisabeth stirred in unease at his words.

"You better do as he commands," Will told her.

"And it be much better if it be a bit of quicker," Hector told her.

Elisabeth raised her arm, but at the same moment she winced from pain.

"Let me do it," Will whispered. He brought out his knife.

Barbossa thinned his eyes. He knew whose knife that used to be. The knife of the poor old bastard Bootstrap Bill.

Meanwhile Will cut gently through the blooded fabric. When Elisabeth's arm was free from the sleeve, Barbossa came nearer. He had the bottle Gibbs brought in his right hand and a piece of cloth in the left.

"Better sit on the table, Miss Swan," he said, "and turn yer arm to the candlelight".

Elisabeth obeyed his order in silence. Will turned his gaze from Elisabeth to Barbossa and back again.

Hector dropped some rum onto the cloth.

"This is goin' to 'urt," he warned her, "for we can not spare water to wash th' blood away, tis goin' to be rum. Makes the wound clean as well".

Elisabeth just nodded. Hector gently touched her arm with the cloth. She hissed when the alcohol made contact with the bleeding wound.

"Maybe I'll do it?" Will asked outrageously.

"Ye think ye can do better 'en a man 'o spent 'is life in sea?" Barbossa spat in mockery. "I beg ye not to even try".

Will has already opened his mouth to answer, when Elisabeth interrupted.

"Will, captain Barbossa is trying to help," she shrugged carelessly and once again gasped in pain.

William's face darkened. Anger mixed with grief was written upon it.

"Fine," he said, "then I'll let you finish".

He turned and walked away from the cabin.

"Will!" Elisabeth called after him, but he didn't even turn.

"Bloody 'ell what a self-thinking lad!" murmured Barbossa while still busied with cleaning the wound.

"Stop it, captain Barbossa," Elisabeth said sternly.

Hector was not able to restrain himself from chuckling at these words. How she defended her love by the gods!

"'ave patience, Miss Swan, I be nearly over with this," he told Elisabeth. "The wound be not deep so no need to sew it. It may leave a scar though".

"I don't care," said Elisabeth in indifference in her mind still hoping that Will will come back.

"Fine 'en," Barbossa replied dryly.

"What happens to be your first name captain?" Elisabeth suddenly asked.

"Hector it be the last time," he answered without showing any surprise. "Why?"

"Nay, nothing," she replied smiling quietly to herself.

Barbossa ended the cleaning at last and tossed the cloth away. He reached than for the second piece and carefully, barely touching Elisabeth's arms with his fingers, he bandaged it with the fabric.

"Ye come up in th' evening an' show me yer arm," he ordered her.

"Aye captain" Elisabeth cast a glance at the door.

"He'll be alright," Barbossa told her, "He be just worried 'bout ye".

"I'm not a little girl anymore captain Barbossa, for how many times should I repeat it," Elisabeth sighed.

"Ye go an' talk with 'im right now," Hector nodded at the door. "Off ye go, an' take care of yer arm. I be not healin' it for a second time".

"Thank you captain," Elisabeth smiled and slipping past him she disappeared behind the door.

"Miss Swan!" he called her.

Elisabeth's head was back in the cabin after a second.

"Me apologizes to yeh".

"For what?" Elisabeth widened her eyes.

"I did not manage to keep yeh safe" it seemed he was mocking her, but with a glance into the captain's eyes Elisabeth understood that he wasn't.

"I was not stabbed in the back," she replied.

"Aye," chuckled Hector hiding his disbelief in that she forgave him. "That be true".

"Ye fought bravely and skillfully today," he said.

"Thank's captain," Elisabeth looked really pleased.

"Ye 'appen to know 'ow to shoot?" Hector asked.

"Can't say I don't know how to do it, but not really," Elisabeth answered.

Hector smirked.

"Well… then that's the thing to catch up with".


End file.
